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Compared to the rest of the cat pack, the mighty snow leopard is in a category of its own — a "cat-egory" if you will.

But how much do we really know about this icy animal? Truth is, even experts don't fully understand the complexities of the snow leopard. They're so elusive that it's guesstimated there could be anywhere between 3,920 and 7,500 left on Earth. (Not a lot either way, but more on that later.)

What people do know about the snow leopard, though, is incredibly enlightening, at times heartbreaking, and downright fascinating.

Here are 11 things you need to know about the cat they call the "ghost of the mountains":

1. Snow leopard sightings are rare — even for other snow leopards.

Hence the ghostly nickname. Snow leopards mainly roll solo — unless it's mating season or a mama is caring for her cubs. Other than that, good luck spotting these solitary animals that count dusk and dawn as their favorite times of day.

8. There are houses, mansions, and then there's a snow leopard's habitat.

2 million square kilometers. That's how vast the snow leopard's Central Asia habitat is — roughly the size of Mexico. Granted, that covers all snow leopards. But, for even just one, home can be a 1,000-square-kilometer area.

Snow leopards play a pivotal role in the circle of life. And they need our help.

Snow leopards mainly eat mountain goats and sheep; without snow leopards, these herbivores will eat off the food supply reserved for other creatures and surrounding communities. Snow leopards help keep the ecosystem in balance, and everyone is able to live in harmony.

But they need your support — help put a stop to their decline once and for all. Take action now with the Snow Leopard Trust or World Wildlife Fund and let's keep these friendly felines with us for generations to come.